January 24, 2012 – 9:43 am
As a freelancer, it can be hard to know where the market is for your skill sets. Many of the freelancers I know continue to market towards what has worked for them in the past. And why not? If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it. Makes sense, right? Though that may work as a short term solution, even freelancers need to look towards trends. Freelancer.com, the largest outsourcing marketplace, has recently released its list of the top 50 freelance job trends for the fourth quarter of 2011. Freelancer.com has gathered stats from 134,820 online jobs that were posted over the last quarter of 2011, which represent a 18.3% increase from Q3. Here are the important trending freelance jobs: According to Freelancer.com: Android takes off again in Q4. After a slow Q3, Android jobs rocketed up 33% (to 2,454) in Q4. Apple iPhone jobs grew 18% (to 3,682). By the end of 2012, Android should be close to overtaking the iPhone for the rate of development of new applications. Apple iPad jobs rose 22% (to 1692). Blackberry jobs were flat, up 2%, but with volumes too low to register on the Fast 50. As reported before, Symbian and Windows phone [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Uncategorized
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Also tagged freelance freelance, freelance it, freelance jobs, how to freelance, i freelance, Ja-Nae, janae, live anywhere, start a startup, the freelancer, what is freelance
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“If I had seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” -Issac Newton I’ve been down in D.C. for the week and have met a ton of interesting people, many of which are freelancers who are trying to build their businesses. Each of them wanted to know how what secrets I had for them. I have no secrets (expect be prepare to work your butt off and love it), but I can share what I have learned. Here are some items on How to Freelance: I. Fuel : Why Drinking Coffee is Great for You Before you begin, make sure you are energize and ready to take on the world. Here is a few reasons why coffee is a great way to start you day and get you ready to build your business. To read the article, click here. II. The Idea: How to Start a Million Dollar Business Every business, even a freelance one starts with an idea. Here are a few ways to find that idea and start a million dollar business. To read the article, click here. III. Freelancer Toolkit: 201+ Amazing Tools and Resources for the Freelancer Every freelancer and small [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized
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Also tagged free lancer, freelance designer, freelance designers, freelance it, freelance writer, freelance writing, freelancer, freelancer jobs, freelancers, freelancers toolkit, freelancing, how to freelance, i freelance, it freelance, what is freelance, work free, workfree
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I ran into an old friend at a recent networking event who has worked at an office for many years. Probably his biggest complaint about the business world is the constant meetings. How often do we hear about meetings where nothing is accomplished and everyone feels like they wasted their time? It’s become an office cliché. There’s even a website called meetordie where you can determine just how much money a business wastes on an unproductive meeting. But, believe it or not, meetings were originally intended to serve a purpose. And, whether we like it or not, meetings are a necessary evil for just about any business to get work done. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t improve on the concept of meetings and make them valuable to you and your attendees. Follow these four steps to make your meetings more meaningful: 1. The fewer the better. Getting everyone’s input can be valuable, but when time is of the essence it just isn’t worth it to invite that guy who works in the mail room. Keep attendance limited to just the people who are directly involved in the meeting’s objectives. Before sending out the meeting memo, ask yourself if all [...]
My buddy Luke is having trouble collecting from a client of his. The client wants him to continue doing work, but has not paid him for the work he has already done. As a freelancer, every single dollar means the world to him. Like many small business owners, Luke has to feed his family at the end of the day. Has this ever happened to you? Does it still. Well, you are absolutely not alone. Most of the entrepreneurs that I know deal with this in one form or another. Even me. So, when you’re trying to do the right thing by your client and still keep yourself in business, where is the line drawn? What could you have done even before the work began? Mike Monteiro doesn’t mess around when it comes to collecting payment. In his Creative Mornings video, “F*ck You. Pay Me” he shares some hilarious insight into his strategies for collective payment for creative service industries. Check it out: 2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo. Here are some familiar and irrational excuses he’s heard from clients. Do any of them sound familiar: “We ended up not using the work” “Really [...]
I have a friend who has acquired many different skills, from automobile repair to computer programming. One time when I asked him where he learned so many skills, his answer was simple – he taught himself through “trial and error.” He allowed himself to fail until he learned the skill. This has made me think a lot about failure and how important it is to allow yourself to fail. All of my successes have come from failure. Projects never end up the way I originally intend, people who seemed like they could be accountable could not, and businesses took longer to make a profit than I had anticipated. But the English language has made us equate failing with being a failure, when in fact failing is necessary in order to succeed. If we never allow ourselves to fail, then, unless we are born perfect, we’ll never attempt to learn or do anything that risks failure. When I started my first business, I made many mistakes and “failures” before I got it right. I didn’t give up or get discouraged because I understood that failing was just a step towards success. And I was right. In order to succeed, you must [...]
April 11, 2011 – 10:06 am
This morning, I spoke to a group of women entrepreneurs over breakfast. After the talk, one of them came up to me and asked how I assess risk. She disclosed that she had a few businesses and they have never really taken off the way she thought they would. She asked me what I would do if I was in her situation. That’s easy for me to answer, because I’ve been in that situation many times! There are a ton of ideas that I thought would be good project and ventures – and they just weren’t. I’ve had ideas crash and burn just like everyone. It’s all part of the process and it led and led to a lot of trial and error (and a loss of money). Fortunately, I have learned from these experiences and developed a system for what businesses I start and how I invest in them. And now you can benefit from my mistakes and experience by following my rules: 1. Less is More. When I am assessing a new product or service, I determine the value of the minimum product or service I can create to shop around. How can I bundle the most minimal version [...]
November 10, 2010 – 9:12 am
I bet we’ve all had our fair share of dates who give off mixed signals. They hold your hand, look deeply into your eyes, kiss you goodnight—and then you never hear from them again. Or that friend who always seems excited to see you, but consistently declines your lunch invitations. It can leave your head spinning. Unfortunately, this is a problem in business, too, with clients who tell you one thing but expect something totally different. In today’s podcast, “Are You Sending Mixed Signals?”, I ask you to take a look inward to see if you are guilty of giving off a confusing message. I’d like to hear from you! What do you do when you receive mixed signals from someone? Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook ______________ Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider reading my book, How to Start Your Business with $100. You should find what you’re looking for.
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Entrepreneurship, Podcasts
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Also tagged business, entrepreneurs, freelancers, freelancing, home-based business, small business, starting a business, wahm, women and entrepreneurs, working from home
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October 25, 2010 – 10:36 am
It’s crazy how many small business owners I meet who are paralyzed by their fears. Do I know enough to start a business? Will I be able to feed my family while I’m launching my freelance career? Am I making a good impression at networking events? Believe me, I have been in your shoes, and in today’s podcast, I talk about the small steps that helped me to move forward past my fears. What fears have been holding you back? What are some of your tips for pushing past that paralysis we all have felt at one time or another? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below! Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook ______________ Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider reading my book, How to Start Your Business with $100. You should find what you’re looking for.
October 12, 2010 – 1:01 pm
For business owners, the need for excellent Powerpoint presentations while soliciting partners is crucial for success. As entrepreneurs, we need to know our audiences before creating presentations to address them, and then we must create a show that will actively engage them. While many of us may display the creative drive to make an interesting Powerpoint, finding the right images, organizing them, and tailoring them to each specific you are trying to reach can be time consuming. As I mention in my book, “How to Start Your Business with $100”, this may be one of those areas it’s best to outsource. Listen to “Who’s Designing Your Podcasts?” for suggestions on creating the best professional Powerpoints you can. So, who will you have design your Powerpoints? Leave your recommendations below! Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook ______________ Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider buying my book, How to Start Your Business with $100 because it will save you thousands of dollars and you should find what you’re looking for.
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Business Tools, Creativity, Entrepreneurship
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Also tagged artist, business, Creativity, entrepreneurs, freelancer, freelancers, how to start a business, how to start a business with $100, how to start your business with $100, imagination, outsource, outsourcing, small business, starting a business, women and entrepreneurs
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October 4, 2010 – 12:44 pm
When I started my own business, one of the challenges I faced was how to effectively use social media to build a community around my brand. And that was before the Facebook-Twitter explosion! Now, with so many social media opportunities, it can seem a daunting task to the small business owner to create and grow a following. This is especially true for freelancers, whose services may appeal to a small níche audience. For my inaugural podcast to kick off my “How to Start Your Business with $100” Book Tour, I discuss “Ways to Build a Community”. Have a listen below, try out my suggestions, then let me know how it goes by leaving a comment. Hope to see you on my tour! Remember to check out my companion blog, The Biz100 Tour, for tour dates and special announcements.
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship
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Also tagged entrepreneurs, freelancer, freelancers, home-based business, how to start a business, how to start a business with $100, Ja-Nae, small business, social media, social media 101, social media basics
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